Jump to content
Pro Wrestling Only

[1997-06-10-WDF] Shinichi Nakano vs Masayoshi Motegi


Jetlag

Recommended Posts

Yes, I'm pimping a Motegi match now. What are you gonna do about it?

 

Altough I'm pimping this mostly because of Shinichi Nakano, who had gotten all MUGA and really darn good at this point, as if he was hoping for getting another shot in NJPW or AJPW, but only ended up doing those weird 90s MUGA shows that never made tape. Dude looked way too in shape to be wrestling in fucking Wrestle Dream.

 

This is easily the most epic a match Motegi has ever been in, as they rip it up on the mat and do a sleazeball BattlARTS match full of super stiff, nasty stomps and kicks to the hamstrings, short headbutts and truely spiteful slaps aswell as a bunch of ultra tight pop-his-arm-out-of-his-arm submission work. I could see some people hating the selling and lack of invetiveness, but the intensity was enough for me. There is a story about Maeda making Nakano pass out with a Boston Crab in the NJPW dojo, and his holds had the feel of a guy who held a grudge about simple holds cranked in to a point beyond human tolerance. Then they build into a gazillion big moves and nearfalls that actually work and don't come across as corny, as they had the selling in place and never did any stupid fighting spirit shit.

 

 

I kinda got the feel that because Motegi is sorta part owner of this fed the match was designed to make him look good, but to his credit he tried hard to overcome his general crappiness. Motegi landed a really nice missile dropkick, and his desperation dive where he landed on his face was pretty gruelling and added to the match. Nakano has the really great offensive moments, his flash enzuigiri's are amazing, he also has the best powerslam and double wrist flip you've ever seen and also punches Motegi in the face for being such a sad sack.

 

So there you have it, the greatest Masayoshi Motegi match ever. Whatever that means to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

Thanks Jetlag for the recommendation in the Secret Santo thread, I really enjoyed this one. The only other Motegi match Ive seen is against Sasuke in the J-Crown tournament where I thought he was pretty shitty, but in this setting he was a lot better. Nakano had an Ishikawa vibe to him in the way he moved and his matwork, this is my first time seeing him and Im interested in seeing more now.

 

Firstly, I love the indy sleaze mat, can pretty much smell the hepatitis through the screen. The fact that it legit says soul of grass along the apron for some reason makes my heart happy.

 

Motegi hits a sweet ankle pick & lands some nasty ground and pound elbows early, and I can tell this is going to be a gritty match. There is some really snug matwork by both and vicious short strikes to escape.

 

I like the legwork by Nakano, well applied strait ankle locks and tendon holds, really grinding the forearms into Motegis calves. Motegi works the arm as a counter, but it seems like Nakano has the edge on the mat and locks in his holds with better technique and a lot tighter.

 

Later, Motegi really eats the floor when he does a plancha, pretty much lands face first but also connects with Nakano in a really violent, non-pretty way. Im a fan of some of the flyers doing crazy athletic shit these days, but this type of flying just seems more impactful and like it could fit into a real fight.

 

Motegi hits the double Germans with a nice snap, I especially liked Nakano trying to escape after the first rather than just rolling with it like most do. Motegi continues to throw some solid offence until Takano catches Motegis cross body and lands what in theory was a powerslam, but in reality was more like a Northern Lights Bomb, dumping him on the back of his head.

 

Really like the finish with the German that dumps Motegi on the back of his head straight into the armbar.

 

Everything in this was earned and fought for, not in a Battlarts or RINGS shoot-y sense but in an old school pro wres manner. There was nothing flashy or showy, everything had a purpose and there was no fat to the mat. I kinda wish they stayed on the mat for longer as I was really enjoying that part of the match, but was happy with what I got.

 

***1/2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Is Shinichi any relation to Tatsuo Nakano, or do they both just rock the square mullet? This was a weird match but the thick layer of grime added something interesting. I liked the meat-and-potatoes matwork, mixed in with the handsy exchanges. Selling in this match was all over the place, from melodramatic to nonexistent, and then after Nakano nosedives on the plancha, it turns into more of an offensive sprint, with Nakano getting his shit in and Motegi firing back with his shit. I thought the finish wasn't very good -- Motegi throws him with the German suplex, which was supposed to be bridged(?), but then he slaps on a jujigatame and Nakano immediately taps out when the focused throughout the match had been his leg. It's nitpicky but whatever, this was fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • GSR changed the title to [1997-06-10-WDF] Shinichi Nakano vs Masayoshi Motegi

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...